forum Opportunistic Omnivore: Scavenging the Remains of the Divine || OxO || Closed || 18+

Started March 15, 2023 by @ElderGod-kirky group

tune

Eurion wanted it to stop. He wanted the Gods to stop, wanted himself to stop. Whatever that meant he didn't know, but all he was aware of was just how much it hurt. Each sob had his body trembling and he was glad of Sláine around him because the man was a pillar holding him up as he slumped against him. Eurion couldn't hold himself up. He couldn't do anything but sob and tremble in fear and hope that it all just went away soon. He knew that it wouldn't but he hoped that it would. This wasn't living. It wasn't a life he wanted to live. Not when the Gods were so fierce and horrible and he couldn't do anything to escape those chains on him. Now there was a physical reminder of what they had on him. Regardless of whether he could see those chains he felt them. Every day they got heavier until one day he knew they would drag him to the ground and he would be unable to stand against them. But every time he looked at himself from now on he would see that reminder.

Had Sláine not been there something bad would have happened. He would have, because he had done so before, and done anything to take the pain away but the physical pain that he inflicted on himself only dulled the emotional ache for so long. At least this time he had his mate, but even the comfort that Sláine seemed to be pouring into him wasn't doing much to stop what he was feeling. It was something that he was unfortunately just going to have to ride out, like every other time, because he doubted his prince was going to let him hurt himself in his presence. Maybe that was a good thing. Logically, Eurion knew it was a good thing, but he couldn't help but wish for it to be different when there was nothing else that stopped his terror and sorrow from filling every last vein in his body.

So many years of the same repeating pattern. Eurion couldn't count, couldn't remember who he had been before the Gods. A part of him was lost, he was aware of it. A part of him had been consumed by the Gods and every time they came to visit they took more and more. One day there would be nothing left of him, or who he was originally. Nothing more than a servant to the patrons he had sworn himself to. That day seemed to be creeping closer and closer with every visit. Half a man. Eurion still couldn't believe that Sláine was staying with him. The day he became nothing more than what the Gods put into his head, the assassin knew that his prince would leave.

"I'm-" Words failed even though Eurion tried to get them out. He couldn't breathe, couldn't think, "So- sorry I-" His fault. This was his fault. He got himself into this mess, he should be the one to deal with it. Sláine shouldn't have to have his night ruined because of him. Because it was neer just the two of them. The Gods would always be there. Always pressing down on him. Always in the back of his mind. Always there. No matter what Sláine thought, Eurion knew. He knew that they would never be alone, not truly, when the Gods could snatch him away at any moment and send him back like this.

Sláine sucked in a breath and forced himself to calm. Calm down, calm the tears, calm the raging storm within him so that he could look his mate in the eyes and hold him steady. He knew that his eyes would be red-rimmed and his cheeks stained with salty sorrow, but it was the best he could do in the moment for Eurion. The second he got his breathing under control and the tears weren't as plentiful, Sláine pulled away from the assassin's neck to press their foreheads together, bump their noses, just force himself to be the one thing that Eurion looked at and focused on. Just him, not the Gods. They could come second to him, because as far as he was concerned, he was more important to Eurion than they were. Patronage or no, they held nothing against Sláine.

Gods think themselves unkillable until they meet the blade that favors their blood. They rise and fall like the cries of children and roll around in their playpens until something bigger and better comes after them. And there's always something better. The Old Gods were supposed to have died off eons ago, replaced by the Witches they created for the sole purpose of ruling the world in their stead. He would be the thing they feared eventually. They didn't deserve Eurion's tears or fear—they deserved to fear for themselves. The timer for their authority ran out long ago, and now they were working on borrowed sand. Sláine was more than happy to collect that debt.

The prince needed to focus on his mate, though. His anger could wait. Sláine kissed the tip of Eurion's nose, then his cheek, tightening his hug while keeping their faces together. "There's nothing to be sorry for. Just focus on me, okay? Can you do that for me? Look at me and nothing else. My eyes—focus on my eyes." Not the black creeping over his skin or the panic from the Gods threatening to engulf him, Sláine. The prince in his lap and in his face, who was utterly devoted to Eurion and swore to protect him against everything that would dare threaten him, including himself. He didn't know about the self-harm that would've happened had he not been there, but he knew that he needed to be something to focus on, something to help his mate calm down and ride it out. It didn't matter if their night was ruined or not—Sláine only cared about making sure that Eurion was safe, and calm, and feeling okay enough. The perfect moment had already happened, and he would savor it forever, but they had other nights, other perfect moments to share. The Gods ruined this one, but there would be others.

The urge to pull away, to get away to do something to take the emotional pain away was so strong, but Eurion was too weak to move or get up, to push Sláine away or even attempt anything that he would have normally done. Every sob wracked his body harder, every breath was stuttered until he was practically having a panic attack in Sláine's arms. His vision was clouded by his own tears, too many for him to tell that his mate had also been crying, not when he could barely see anything himself. His body shook and he tried not to dig his nails into Sláine to keep himself steady, taking to just hugging the man tighter instead. Because there was black in his veins and fear in his heart that had been there since the beginning but had grown worse with time and actions and he wasn't sure how much more of it he could take.

Then Sláine was moving his face until their foreheads were pressed together and he was being told to focus on him. Of course his mate was more important than the Gods were. Eurion would always and forever believe the man in his lap to be the most important person in his whole world and existence. But as much as he tried to focus on him his mind was thousands of miles away. It was as if he was looking at himself through different eyes, watching it happen, watching as Sláine kissed his cheeks and forced his gaze. The sensation wasn't new but it was still not one that he enjoyed, no matter how many times it had happened in his life. After so long the repetitiveness of it all, Eurion had thought, would make it easy for him to overcome the fear and just go numb. He had been wrong. The fear had only made things worse, especially as the Gods had become worse.

Breathe. He told himself. In and out. One breath at a time. Get air into his lungs and out again, calm his heart. Each breath was shakier than the last but he was trying. Even though Eurion's thoughts were filled with the Gods, those images that they had given him, he focused on his mate. Tried to think about the stars the Eclipse had blessed them with. Tried to think about their bond, the night they had just spent together. This was reality. Right here was what was real. He wasn't there, he wasn't with him. Things would calm and it would work out, as much as it felt as if the world was ending right in that very moment.

Sláine hated seeing Eurion like this. Crying, in pain, eyes unfocused even as they stared at the prince. Eurion wasn't there—not entirely. He was somewhere else, and just how far away was a mystery that he didn't want to solve. No, the only thing that Sláine wanted to solve was to get rid of the fear and pain, but to do that, he only knew of one way. It was one that he had used several times as a kid to remove himself from the pain of Seiger's beatings and belittlement, an entirely accidental discovering that he, to this day, wasn't entirely convinced it hadn't been given to him from the Middle. But the cost was a detachment that wasn't healthy, and the pain didn't really stop—you just stopped registering it.

The biggest detriment to that solution was that Eurion still feared his magic. The masking and subtle twists around the room, things that were simple and unseen, they didn't bother his mate nearly as much as obvious displays would. And that option he had on the tip of his tongue was a very obvious display, as it would directly affect Eurion, and it would do nothing to lessen the ingrained fears about the twins' magic after he felt it firsthand. Toying with his perception of the reality would undoubtably make things worse, actually, and that was the last that the prince wanted to do. Eurion already feared the Gods enough; giving him the fuel to fear even more would make Sláine lose him even more. So he didn't offer it. As much as it hurt to know that he could do at least something to band-aid it but wasn't, he didn't want to take the risk of making things worse.

He took his mate's face in his hands and pressed even closer to him, like he was encouraging Eurion to hold onto him as tightly as he needed. "Focus on me, acushla. You're doing so good already. Keep breathing like that." Sláine didn't care if he got scratched up or harmed while Eurion grappled for something to keep himself grounded. Anything his mate needed right then, he'd give it and allow it. His hands petted at the assassin's face and hair, moving sweat-slick strands back away from his face. The prince's mind raced. What did he do? How did he comfort Eurion and pull him from this panic? He had no idea what to say or how to act, but eventually the words fell from his lips without prompting or thought. "Remember what I did that first night we met? After you woke up during the night? Do you remember what I told you after you thanked me?"

With each breath, and with Sláine's hands on him, Eurion was slowly - really fucking slowly, coming down from the panic that was set in his heart. This was probably the worst one yet. He knew that much even though he couldn't think properly. Had Sláine not been there, had his mate not been around and with him… Eurion didn't want to consider what he would have done. What he still would do if he was given the opportunity. He had the scars to prove what had happened before. Over and over and over, deeper and deeper. Fuck, Addie and Cara had found him bleeding out after one of those moments and nursed him to health. A part of him always hated that they had because he had been so close to a way out then. And the two witches were too stubborn to let him go that far again.

Now? Now there was Sláine—his mate. The man he was supposed to kill and ended up in the arms of that first night. Now that same man was trying to get him to think back to that very night when they had ended up like this, only a little less panicked with a lot less tears. Gods, he didn't want to know what it might have been like then. At that point, the visit hadn't been filled with nightmares and visions of his loved ones dying by his hands or twisted versions of memories or dreams of who knew that because Euion certainly didn't. It hadn't been filled with pain. Fear, maybe, but not pain. The last two times had been different and all because he had refused to kill the man now in his lap and would continue to refuse to do so. Eurion didn't want to bring the Gods back into this realm but he knew if he didn't then he would probably end up dead. And then the fuckers would move on to the next poor soul they could choose and find and capture them until they ended up like Eurion. At least this way no one else got hurt because of them.

He did his best to send his mind back to that place. To when he had been pressed against Sláine's chest, when he had softly thanked him and he had replied with, "Tha- tha mo thio- thiodhlac s-saor." The pronunciation was terrible, his words were already broken due to the tears and the panic and it made it worse trying to speak another language on top of that. But Eurion did it. He attempted, at least, and that was good enough in his state. Slowly, his mind was calming down. Slowly, he was becoming okay.

"Tha, baby. Obair mhath." Sláine realized that was a horrible diversion the moment he said it. Sending Eurion's mind back to yet another visit from the Gods? Even if it forced Eurion to think a little bit with the new language, it still wasn't the best memory to grab from when he was actively panicking about a similar scenario, albeit a lot worse. The prince kissed his assassin's cheek and nuzzled their noses together. He was doing everything he could to keep Eurion's mind off of the Gods and on him. Something else. He needed something else to make Eurion think about anything but what just happened. Get him to calm down and breathe.

Stroking the side of his mate's face, Sláine scrambled for anything else he could use. "When we first kissed," he started slowly, thinking, "all I could think about was how you weren't being subtle by any means. That's why I wanted to tease you. You were so obvious about how you wanted to kiss me that it was adorable, and I couldn't help but delay it just a little. Wind you up for fun. You and Caoimhe had been teasing me about not being able to get anyone into bed, and that's all I could think about in that moment. How, by complete accident, I had managed to get someone so adorable and beautiful in bed with me, looking at me like that. You were just getting upset over me not immediately laying on top of you, and then we were discussing how we wanted our relationship to be, and I just…" Sláine shook his head and kissed Eurion, quick and sweet but so loving.

"I felt like the luckiest person to have someone like you focus so much on me. Like your night wouldn't have been complete had I not been so close to you, had we not kissed." Sláine stroked some more tears away from Eurion's cheek, gentle when he got close to his eyes to clear away those tears as well. "Then I wasn't thinking about anything but you, which is how it's been ever since then." Eurion was everything to him. The prince had thought and felt so much in just that moment of their first kiss, but after that? Again and again, there were firsts and there were times of 'we've done this before, but it's just as good as the first'. Eurion made everything special, and though now wasn't exactly the most ideal time to let him know that, it was the only thing that Sláine could think of to try to soothe him.

The kiss helped soothe Eurion down a little. The more Sláine spoke about them the more his mind stopped focusing on the Gods and back onto the two, focusing back on his mate rather than the patrons that he was tied and chained to. Each worth that his prince spoke was sending him back to those moments rather than the ones of fear that he was currently stuck in. Taking him back to the moments of peace and softness and comfort and reminding him that he wasn't alone. He didn't have to do this alone anymore. Even though, at times, it definitely felt like he was, like those moments where it was just him and the Gods and no one else around to help take the pain away, but he had Sláine now, at the very least.

He had his prince wanting and saying he was going to stay and be there for him no matter what happened. That he wasn't going to leave him. Eurion's mind was a warzone just as much as the Gods plane was. Half of him was fighting to believe every word that came out of Sláine's mouth, to continue to breathe and focus on him and only him and the truth that his mate was saying. But the other half was waring to stop him from believing it. He didn't deserve this, not after everything he had done and would continue to do in his lifetime. He was a fucking assassin. No one should have pity on Eurion. Maybe this was what he deserved. All this pain, all the suffering that came with being bound to the Gods. If this was his life for the rest of forever then maybe he deserved this for all he had done. But there was still that part of him that was saying no. No, because the Eclipse had blessed them. No, because Sláine was his mate and he should believe the man he had sworn himself to. No, because maybe he wasn't horrible.

Sniffling, Eurion leaned into every touch and kiss that Sláine gave him. His tears were beginning to slow and even though his breathing was still erratic, it wasn't as bad as it had been. At least now he could get air into his lungs properly rather than feeling like he was drowning. Drowning mentally, maybe, but not physically, "You-" He hiccuped, and his hands couldn't decide if they wanted to hold on tight or not to Sláine, "M-Mean that?"

Sláine smiled softly, doing everything he could to stave off the sadness from creeping into his expression. He could mourn his mate's happiness later, when the other didn't need him to be steady and calm. Eurion was calming down, slowly but surely, and the prince was happy that the panic was at least letting up a little bit. The claws were painstakingly prying themselves off of Eurion's heart. They wouldn't ever go away, that much he knew, and it was upsetting to know that they'd be there for as long as the Gods were in the assassin's life, but he could take the small wins and small bits of knowledge where he could. For now, he'd be happy that he was getting his mate back, little by little, and he could keep doing what he was doing since it seemed to be working.

He squished Eurion's cheeks just a little and bumped their noses together, kissing him again. That seemed to be the most potent thing at calming the man. "I meant every word then," he murmured, "and I mean every word now. I don't care what anyone has to say about you or me or us, no matter who they are, because I know you. I know we are perfect, and a perfect building will always have hairline fractures and will always have things that other people don't like, or maybe even be repulsed by. But that's okay. We don't need other people to tell us what we should be like or how our relationship should be. I knew who you were from the moment we met. Nothing that you might think is repulsive was a secret. And I'm still here, aren't I?"

Assassin or not, Sláine wanted Eurion by his side. Needed him by his side. He gentled his touch, going back to simply holding Eurion's face, and soft warmth seeped into his expression. "I'm always going to be here. And I'm always going to think you're the most adorable person out there. Except at certain times, I have a much different opinion of you then, but you already know that." He stroked his thumbs over the assassin's cheeks as his smile brightened just a little, that flicker of cheekiness that he had always had, before he was tilting Eurion's head to give his forehead a kiss. "No matter when, though, you're still my perfect assassin. My heart. Acushla. "

Happiness was fleeting. It was a construct and an emotion that the assassin had never allowed himself to experience more than the basicness of it all in times when joy was allowed. Those few moments in between jobs where he was with the stubborn, possessive witches that acted more like his mums than friends. Those moments as a child before all of this, previous lovers. But nothing more than that. Nothing that wasn't gone within a few hours, a day or two if he was lucky. When Eurionw was on his own there was none of that. Not a single drop of happiness that he felt in his now - literally blackened - veins. He wasn't perfect. He had more cracks in his structure than anyone and it was crumbling by the second. Every time the Gods visited those cracks grew and grew and one day, Eurion knew he was going to be no more than a shell of the man he once was. He was already turning into a ghost, he doubted that he would be a person for much longer, not when the Gods were so relentless with their attacks and their control. Their control that was now physically seeping into his reality, a literal, constant reminder that they were there.

But then there was Sláine. There was a prince who had comforted him the first night they had met despite knowing that he had been sent to kill him. A prince who, even though all of this, even though Sláine knew Eurion was afraid of his magic, was still there. He was still sitting in his lap making cheeky comments about their sex life and change in personality. Still kissing him softly and offering words of comfort when he needed it the most. Still, despite knowing Eurion was a broken man, wanted him. Sláine was still there. He was insisting he wasn't leaving. Insisting that he needed and wanted him through his words and actions, letting Eurion mark and claim him properly as his mate.

If anything the realisation of it all only made his tears flow harder again, only this time it wasn't due to fear or sadness. He couldn't help but sniffle, but lean into every touch and kiss he was given as it he had been deprived of it all for so long. Sláine was calling him perfect again, even in this state, and against everything, the tears and the fear, the assassin's cheeks were rosy with a blush from that comment. From all the comments, really, but that one especially, "I- I-" He didn't have words, didn't know what to say. Instead, Eurion moved to pressing his face into the crook of Sláine neck, to hide away in favour of speaking, and wrap him up tighter in his arms.

Sláine's face pinched into concern when Eurion started crying even more, and he nearly said something to comfort him. What had gone wrong? Did he say something that set him off again? The prince was in a mild panic. But then Eurion blushed and stuttered for words before hiding away into the crook of Sláine's neck. Sláine couldn't help the adoring smile that bloomed on his face as he cooed and shifted his grip to cup the man's head and keep him secure in his neck. His fingers slid through Eurion's hair with gentle pets. Maybe he had done something, but it was a good something instead of a bad one—which he could gladly take any day.

Turning his head, the prince littered quick kisses over the side of Eurion's head and nuzzled into his hair. "Speechless again? Maybe I'm good at the talking thing after all." Nevermind the fact that he was often the main diplomat for political things. Talking to kings and dictators was different from comforting his mate, though, and Sláine often found himself floundering for things to say to keep Eurion calm and to portray everything that he felt in his heart. Not all of it could be described with words. There wasn't enough languages that he spoke that could accurately convey the most important parts of his thoughts and feelings about his precious assassin. It's why he let a small string of those unsayable things filter through the bond. Just enough to back up his words, but not enough to overwhelm and bombard his mate with an abundance of emotions.

"I can keep taking," he murmured, kissing right by Eurion's ear, "or we can stay like this for a bit. Or even lay down. Whatever you want." Now that Eurion was breathing more normally, minus a few hiccups, and his tears didn't seem to be cause for concern, Sláine was letting him decide on how he wanted to proceed. Even his sobs had tampered down to sniffles. The prince was happy that Eurion was calmer now, and especially happy that he was lucid enough to be blushing and hiding away just as he had done the last time Sláine called him perfect. It would always be that one word, that same speech, that got him. And somehow, he always knew just how to get to Eurion with those simple words and how he felt about the assassin. Like he forgot that Sláine cared so deeply about him, and was constantly surprised to hear it. Until the end of time if he needed to, he would tell him over and over again just how he felt as long as he needed that reminder.

Eurion whined, and this time it wasn't because of pain, it was from the fact that he was being teased about being speechless at a time like this. Yeah, Sláine was definitely good at the comforting talking thing, and it only made it better with the confirmation he received through the bond about his feelings towards him. It only took a few more moments for his tears to stop, bar a few that managed to slip past his defences while he wasn't paying attention to them, and his breathing was as level as he could get it. For the time being it was going to be a little rough, and all the crying was sending him sniffling into oblivion trying to stop it, but at least the fear was gone. Eurion was present in his own body again. Present to know and hear and register his mate's words. To hear how he thought he was perfect, among all things. It would never not gain a reaction from him.

He was more than happy hidden away in Sláine's neck. At least here no one could see his face. How his cheeks were red from both the crying and the blush, how they were tear-stained and his eyes were red-rimmed and his nose was puffy. Certainly a sight to see, especially when in the morning or whenever they got out of bed he would pretend like nothing had happened. The moment Aideen and Caoimhe saw those black veins on him, though, he knew they would ask. Aideen was too stubborn not to and would want to know everything, especially since it was another encounter with the Gods she so desperately wanted to get to. Maybe he should have been more adamant about her staying away. Maybe if he had let her kill him and hadn't agreed to their little deal then he wouldn't have to deal with both her and the Gods. It would have made things far easier if he had just stuck his ground to begin with instead of giving in.

But, with the offer to move, Eurion took it. From where they were sat he moved without moving his face too much from where it was buried in the crook of Sláine's neck so they were lying down. So Sláine was lying on his back and Eurion was pressed against his side this time, just as they had been when they had first woken up together. The assassin's hand was on his prince's chest, moving downwards to press his face into his side instead of his neck but tangling their legs together to keep them as close as possible. He was so tired. Everything was an effort, but at least he had his mate. At least Sláine was there.

Yeah, he's adorable. Sláine couldn't think of Eurion as anything else, not when he was hiding away into his neck and whining about gentle teases. Just hours before, this very same man had been domineering and bossy, taking a knife to a prince's throat and thigh and strapping him down by his magic and hands. But now that he was calming down, he was hiding away using Sláine as a barrier between him and the world, holding him tight and being the cutest thing ever. The situation sucked, and he desperately wished that they weren't in the situation that they were in with the Gods, but at least he had his assassin mostly back to normal. All it took was calling him perfect again, and soothing him with a shower of compliments and affection. The prince cooed and combed his fingers through his hair, kissing him every now and again at random intervals.

When Eurion moved them, Sláine shifted his weight to make it easier, but didn't move too much because he knew that the man would want them to be in a particular position—and he was right. He ended up on his back with Eurion curled up against his side, their legs tangled together and a hand stretched over his chest. Sláine pulled the blankets over them, then curled an arm around his mate and turned to bury his face in the other's hair to breathe him in and keep him close. He'd always stay close, no matter what. Even if they had to be apart, he would always find a way to stay close to Eurion and make sure that the man knew he was by his side through thick and thin.

"Get some rest, baby," Sláine whispered, tightening his hug and turning just slightly to let Eurion take up as much room on top of him as he wanted. "I'll be right here with you." He would stay right there, at his side and tangled up with him, for the entire night. And then again in the morning, and for the entire day, and every day after that. Eurion wouldn't be able to give up the prince for very long, not when he had his name carved into his skin and his mark on his neck for all to see. The blooming bruises around his neck like a possessive collar that only Sláine would ever wear. Nothing and no one could claim that they were separate in any capacity. One day—one day the Gods would rue the day they sent Eurion to the princes' doorstep, because now they had the youngest prince on them, and he had a vendetta to settle. But that was another day. Tonight was for comfort and softness and making gentle promises to be the best mate he could be for the assassin.

Even though his eyes were closed and his face was pressed into Sláine's side he still managed to blush even more at the pet name. Now that he was down from the intense fear and pain and was thinking somewhat clearly, the words were registering even more. The pet name would always get him. Just as being called perfect would always get him blushing and whining. After being deprived of such compliments and attention for so long they all felt false, but coming from his mate Eurion knew that they were true. Well, they were true in Sláine's mind, especially when each one was backed up with comfort and words and feelings down their bond. He was glad of it in that sense. It meant that he was able to truly know that Sláine wasn't just lying to him or saying it for the sake of wanting him to feel better. No, he meant every word, and that was what almost made it worse at this point. Because each one had him blushing and hiding away even more.

Eurion pressed his face into Sláine's side and muffled a yawn. Exhaustion was at the forefront of his mind now. He was so tired. Emotionally, he was drained and out of it and he couldn't fight sleep off any longer. Sláine was there. His mate was there and it would be okay. Whether that was in the morning or in fifty years, it would be okay. He hoped. He prayed, even. After all this time of dealing with the constant battle of life and the Gods, he needed someone good to keep him going. Had Sláine not been with him Eurion didn't know if he would still be here. A scary thought, not one that he hadn't had before, but scary knowing that he had Sláine now. He had someone who cared.

Sleep was quick to take him again. After the whole event, the entire evening, it was easy to drift back into that space when he was so tired. At least this time there were no Gods. This time he didn't have to deal with them invading his mind and twisting thoughts and memories into situations and ideas that they weren't. This time maybe he would be able to have some rest. Which was definitely needed considering what they needed to do tomorrow. Skyfall was over, the main event, anyways, and they needed to get back to the mission at hand.

Sláine ran his fingers up and down Eurion's side and back in a self-soothing pattern. The feeling of his mate's skin against his, even beneath his fingers, was better than even the warmth of a blanket. It never failed to settle his soul and calm his mind, especially when he felt the heat of a blush whenever he called the surly assassin baby. He was too cute, too adorable for his own good and Sláine's self control. For now, though, they were both too exhausted to do much more than Sláine's gentle teases and Eurion's bashfulness at the pet name, and cuddle. Well, cuddle and sleep, as it was quickly rushing up to them to drag them back down.

The prince didn't sleep yet, though. With their legs tangled together and Eurion's breath skating over his side, he forced himself to stay awake just a little longer. He was savoring this moment with his mate, sure, evident by how he still idly dragged his touch over the other's side, but he was also thinking, and waiting. Hoping that the Gods didn't come back for a second round, and slightly paranoid that they would when he fell asleep and became unable to protect Eurion. But he was useless anyway, wasn't he? He couldn't protect his mate from them in any way that he tried, and at times like this, he could only soothe him in the aftermath. Whispers of being useless, a shoddy excuse of a mate, threatened to pull him away from the comfort of Eurion's arms and to the edge of the bed—but he didn't move. Sláine might've hated himself for how he could never quite do anything against Eurion's tormenters, and how he had only made it worse from the start, he didn't dare move away now or ever. He made that mistake once already and it would kill them both if he did it again.

The least Sláine could do was make sure Eurion was safe while he slept. So he stayed awake for a little longer when he felt the assassin's breath even out and his limbs loosen in relaxed exhaustion. Did safety checks with the shield around the room, sought out Solise to check on her and got reprimanded for being awake, then counted breaths until he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. His free hand found Eurion's wrist and held onto him as his eyes drifted closed, and before he could even pull Eurion impossibly closer, Sláine was dead asleep, an arm draped over the man's side and their bodies twisted together both similarly and unlike how they had first spent a night together.

The Gods made no other appearances that evening. There was not a whisper nor a sound that came or would have alerted any of them to their presence even if they had been there. But they stayed away, scowling and scheming in their realm as Eurion slept. Their power may have been growing with every visit that they made into the other realm but there was only so much they could give and take before even they, too, grew tired. The energy and power that was required to make those visits were great, and for Gods who weren't yet at their full strength, it took as much out of them as it did their assassin. It did, however, allow them more time to plot, as if they hadn't been doing that for centuries already, and seep the little amount of power that they did have left into their sleeping assassin. Nothing that would alert him or Sláine that they were there because, in a way, they already were.

Those black veins that had appeared on Eurion's skin darkened overnight. Had either of them woken they wouldn't have seen such a thing as there was little light in the room itself, but they would in the morning. They were noticeable. The veins on Eurion's wrists twisted and branched down to his fingertips where they grew lighter there, more of a grey colour than black and started to extend up his arm. Not by a lot, but it was clear the direction they were headed next. Around his ankles, they extended to his toes and the ones on his neck wrapped all the way around, some spouting up towards his jaw and others his chest. From a distance, it may have looked like parts of his tattoos, but for the two of them who knew what they were, it was more than obvious. The Gods had had their claws and chains around Eurion for far too long and their control was extending further into his realm now that the walls between the realms were breaking down. They knew what would happen when they finally broke through and knew that Sláine wasn't going to be happy with what he was met with by the end of it all.

By the time dawn broke the festivities in the Fae city were winding down for the morning. Of course, there would be plenty of other celebrations the next evening and that afternoon but even the hard partygoers needed some time to rest, especially the stall vendors. Eurion had slept soundly the rest of the night cuddled up to Sláine's side without moving no more than an inch here or there when necessary. He was far too comfortable, far too at ease with the man to move, and definitely far too exhausted. Blearily, he blinked his eyes open to be met with soft golden rays that had him tightly shutting them once more, hiding away in Sláine chest as he refused to wake. Five more minutes.

Sláine slept through the night without so much as a twitch, comfortable with Eurion snuggled up to him and his body far too exhausted to do anything that involved movement. The dreams were minimal and filled with his mate, all of a future together that he hoped they'd one day have, but they all fizzled away into abstract nothingness when the sun's rays warmed his skin and roused him from his deep sleep. He didn't completely wake up and instead got stuck in the limbo stage of being vaguely aware, but not awake enough to really register that he was partially awake. Just enough to be overly aware of the ache throughout his body and the weight of the perpetrator on top of him.

The prince let out a tired grunt when Eurion hid away into his chest. The movement jostled him enough to wake him up more, and that's when he groaned again—this time in disgruntled pain. He was really feeling Eurion's tough from the night before, everything they had done finally catching up to him until he was adjusting his hips to try and alleviate some of the soreness. It wasn't horrible, really, all things considered—if prompted, he wouldn't say no to more—but it had been too long and he had forgotten what the day after felt like after a good and thorough fuck. And Eurion had been thorough. The assassin had torn Sláine apart again and again, then put him back together right at the very end. The prince had been put through the ringer, and he was alive and far too happy to recount the story. Though, he wouldn't talk about it to anyone but the man that had taken part in his miniature destruction.

Now annoyed by the light as much as Eurion was, Sláine shifted to roll away from it as much as he could without dislodging Eurion, one of his hands finding its way to his head to bury his fingers into his hair and instinctually hold on. He would always seek out his mate, day and night, first thing in the morning and last thing a night. His eyes stayed stubbornly closed, and it looked to be the two of them chose the same outcome of their morning—sleeping in. Sláine was more than happy to take part, especially when it meant continued time with Eurion alone and comfortable. Minus the dull pains of course. He wasn't aware of the severity of the black veins, not yet, but he had seen them during the night with what limited attention he had given them amidst Eurion's panic. Undoubtably, he wouldn't be pleased to see them, but Eurion wouldn't be able to help it, and Sláine wasn't the type to punish him for outside forces. For now, though, he stayed blissfully half-asleep and snuggled into his precious assassin, wishing the sun would go away and time didn't exist. We need another Witch for that. Get on their good side.

Eurion was going to be more than proud of himself when he woke to find Sláine feeling more than sore from the night before. His mate had wanted to be fucked, and so that was what he had done. Part of it was wanting to fulfil Sláine's desires, needs and wants when it came to the man he wanted him to be, the other was that deeply ingrained possessiveness that the assassin had for the man. It showed in each little movement that Eurion made when it came to Sláine. How each touch was calculated, whether that be around his waist, and soon would definitely be on his thigh where his name now lay in his skin. How Eurion glared at anyone who even looked so much as somewhat interested in his mate. Sláine was his and his alone and no one else was allowed to have him. Now Eurion had his mating mark on him, had his name, and there was no way anyone was going to think about him that way, not on his watch.

When Sláine moved the assassin groaned. He couldn't help the way he tried to hide away more and it only helped that his prince hide his hand in his hair. Eurion hummed at the movement, leaning into the touch even when he was half asleep. Each touch that he was given was more than soothing and calming. He guessed that was what it was forever going to be like for them now. The constant comfort that they could offer each other through the bond when they were both physically with one another but separated. It was the comfort he had never had but he needed more than anything. Even in sleep he was instinctually leaning into everything, craving more, needing more. It was only going to get worse when he woke and saw what the Gods had done properly. The extent of it all already was going to be hard now, it was going to get far worse if those veins only extended further.

But unfortunately, Eurion couldn't keep himself asleep for any longer. He didn't want to wake up, and he certainly wasn't going to move anytime soon, but he did, however, let his eyes open. The sun shone directly into his face and Eurion scowled and wished that he could just use his shadows to block out the light. Maybe he could get Sláine to do so, if that was in his magical capabilities. He supposed he was just going to have to live with it for the time being, and it did wake him up more. He shifted, inclining his head upwards to his mate.

As if he could feel eyes on him, it didn't take long for Sláine's eyes to crack open a sliver and instantly meet Eurion's gaze. He was tired, and half asleep, but that didn't stop him from finding his mate first thing in the morning. The prince smiled a little, just the slightest lift of his lip that let the very tip of his canine peek out. Eurion was beautiful. No matter when it was or where they were, he would always be so beautiful. But here, with the morning sun deciding that he would be the focal point of the moment, he glowed. Sunlight highlighted the planes of his face and bathed him in a gorgeous gold that brightened the blacks of his eyes to a gorgeous sunspotted abyss. Ethereal. Otherworldly. A picturesque artwork that Sláine would happily stare at all day and get lost in.

The prince made a soft noise and shifted, mindful of Eurion but needing to stretch after very minimal movement through the night. His eyes closed and his nose curled in the smallest expression of pain when a jolting reminder of how he had started his night shot through his insides. Fuck, Eurion sure knew what he was doing when it came to Sláine's needs and body. He writhed a little to dislodge the discomfort, though it didn't do much but accentuate the ache. Eurion didn't need to cause a fuss over his pillow moving, though, as Sláine shifted right back into the assassin's space and hooked his leg over the man's hip to draw them close. Maybe he should've taken his pants off before he fell asleep—he was very much missing the skin-on-skin contact that he could've had, had the fabric not been there to separate them. Sighing and happy enough now that he was at least still with Eurion, he hugged him tight and happily stared at him.

Sláine's face was half buried in the pillow, his hair was an utter mess with curls laying all over the place, and his eyes were more hooded than they normally were from sleep, but the unchecked adoration shone bright in his tawny eyes. Eurion was there with him, like every morning since they met. Adorable, beautiful, and laying partially on top of him just like that first morning. The prince smoothed a hand down Eurion's face and ran his thumb over his bottom lip. "I could do this every morning." The comfort of waking up in someone's arms and space, his mate's face the first thing he sees, with the ache of their late night activities setting his blood to a bubbling simmer. Perfect. So perfect. Funny how a royal only feels rich when he's got the perfect man with him.

Sláine would forever be his autumn prince, and the way he glittered, almost, with the light of the early morning sun only highlighted every feature that earned the man the title. From the halo of curls as deep as the morning sun's sky to how his eyes were a cascading flow of a falling autumn forest. He was nothing more than perfect and beautiful and Eurion didn't have the words nor the capacity to speak them if he could even find them on his tongue. Even the way the man smiled, with the softest hint of his canine, how the movement lifted his cheek and caused his constellation of freckles to move with it, Eurion didn't want anyone else. There never would be again. There would never be another like his prince and he would be damned if he ever felt otherwise.

He hummed at Sláine's comment, playfully nipping at his thumb when it ran over his lip, "I'm sorry our night got spoilt." He mumbled. If he hadn't been contracted with the Gods then they wouldn't have had them interrupt their evening. If he hadn't been bound to them Sláine wouldn't have had to calm him down from a panic attack. If he hadn't been chained to them then so much would be different. He supposed, in a way, it was a good thing that he was under their heavy hands otherwise he never would have met the man he was lying on at that very moment. Considering he was a High Witch it was very unlikely Eurion would have thought that such a man would be his fated match, and yet they were, and he couldn't be more grateful to the Eclipse for blessing him with someone so wonderful.

It wasn't going to stop him from thinking about and feeling guilty about how their night ended, though. They experienced something so beautiful together, the Eclipse blessed Eurion in more ways than one, yesterday, and then they had had great fucking sex only for shit to devolve into tears and panic. He wanted out of these chains, no matter how badly the assassin felt he owed the Gods, he couldn't do this anymore. But in his mind, there was no way out. He was going to be stuck like this for eternity until he died or somehow they died and he doubted that would ever happen. Now it only seemed to be increasing - how horrible their treatment was of him. If it ever ended he wanted it to be soon.

Sláine wasn't having any of that. He adored how Eurion was looking at him, undoubtably just how the prince was looking at him, and he wanted to keep that for as long as possible. He shimmied down the bed and through Eurion's hold on him, careful of not dislodging Eurion from his spot on top of him, until they were face-to-face. Then he slid his thumb a little further into Eurion's mouth to hold him more firmly and draw his face closer to Sláine's. His gaze was heavy with adoration, and it only shuttered when he leaned in to press a slow and demanding kiss to Eurion's lips. Quiet, was the clear message. He didn't want to hear any apologies.

"We'll figure it out," he whispered against his mate's lips, kissing him again, then let him go to rest a hand on Eurion's cheek. A swipe of his thumb over the man's cheek, like he was just enjoying being able to touch him and admire him without the pressure of needing to hoard every moment together. They were mates. Everyone important knew, and if anyone got too close to them, they would find out as well—either with Sláine or Eurion getting a little too possessive. They could talk and touch and kiss each other at any moment, any time, that they wanted. Nothing stopped them. And, if Eurion got his way, even having an audience wouldn't stop him from pushing the boundary of public and private just to torture Sláine and pull every reaction he could from him. After the night they had, he couldn't wait to explore all the possibilities and images that they had passed back and forth in the cottage.

And Sláine wasn't one to let things like that go, not when it distracted from the doom and gloom of things. Especially when his mate was apologizing for ruining their night when he was the reason it was amazing (and lingering) in the first place. He himself didn't ruin it, just the Gods and their insistence to torture their servant. Sláine nuzzled Eurion's nose and grinned, less sleepy but still slow and lopsided. "And the only thing you should be apologizing for is how I really don't want to have to walk now. I hate you for that." Thoroughly unfair that he had to get back to work and walk around as if he didn't just get absolutely fucked into oblivion. Eurion should pay for that, but the prince was too tired to really think about how he would make him pay. Just that he had the mind to complain, but not too much. He'd still like to go again at some point.

For once Eurion wasn't going to argue with Sláine, not when he was being kissed in such a way that was clearly a sign for him to be quiet on the matter. He'd let his mate have this one, he'd put that side of himself away this morning in favour of letting the other love up on him. They would figure it out, some way or another, they would figure it out and things would be okay. It would take a while, he knew, for everything to finally end up in a place where he no longer felt as if he was a burden and what was ruining every good thing that they had, but maybe one day all of those feelings would disappear, just like how he hoped the Gods would one day disappear, too. And Sláine's kisses and gentle touches were able to settle the soft fear in the back of his mind for the time being on the matter.

He leaned into his prince's hand, letting his eyes fall shut gently. How someone was able to calm him so easily he would never know. Each touch, no matter how soft and gentle and small sent his heart from erratic to a gentle rhythm that only ever seemed to occur when he was sleeping and definitely didn't occur after an encounter with his patrons. And yet the man that had his hand on his cheek, was letting Eurion practically squash him into his body and telling him that the only thing he should be apologising for is his ability to take away his want to walk whenever they decided to get up, was able to do so. It had a small smile blooming on his lips, more than a little proud no matter how small the smile was. That had been his aim and he had certainly succeeded. If there was ever a time where Sláine walked away from their activities and didn't have a small limp in his step then he was certainly dragging his ass back to bed to make sure that that was fixed.

"That's not something I'm going to apologise for," He said, turning his head just a little to press a kiss into the other's palm, "You'll be reminded of me all day." Each step or move would bring Sláine back to their evening and their time and that was a good thing. Maybe not so good when they would be in front of the Fae prince asking for resources and help but at least he would remember who he belonged to. Eurion had no doubt that Sláine would never forget it, especially with his name carved into his thigh. As much as no one else would be aware that the mark was there, they would be, and that was more important than anything else.

Sláine grinned against Eurion's lips, his expression as bright as the morning sun and eyes glittering with affection and mirth. "Such a cruel, unapologetic assassin. Whatever will I do with you?" With Eurion laying mostly on top of him, the prince easily pressed into his mate's body and tangled their legs together, hands exploring his body and lips pressing kiss after kiss over his skin. Though he had requested morning sex before falling asleep, Sláine was more than content with this. Laying with Eurion, kissing all over him and soaking in the feel of his body against his—minus the single article of clothing that he had unfortunately put on in the middle of the night—was everything he could want in life right now. The only place he wanted to be. Not only was he pressing kisses over every inch of his assassin that he could reach, he was pressing toothy smiles and gentle bites because he couldn't contain his grin.

After so long of not being able to do this with Eurion, so many nights spent alone with his mate just a few feet away but simultaneously a world away… Sláine was more than just a little greedy for it. He was greedy for everything, even more so than usual. It wasn't just the sex or the kisses or even being able to hold his hand. It was him. Eurion. His mate and precious assassin. He hadn't been able to just be with him for the entire time that he had stubbornly kept them separate. And the times before then, they had limited time to explore the depths of their relationship before needing to act as though they didn't care about one another as much as they did.

No more secrets, though. No more hiding. Sláine could give and receive as many bite marks as they wanted in very obvious spots, and it wouldn't matter. He dragged his lips back to draw another kiss from Eurion, and a soft, satisfied sigh slipped through him. It practically felt like the bond was humming with contentment and its renewed strength between them. Like every touch and point of connection tied them back together over tighter and tighter. This was enough, even if he'd always want everything he could get. Just being right next to Eurion and in his space, within eyesight, was enough. With the name on his thigh, he would never be without his mate again.

Another kiss, just because, though this one was short and sweet and melted into an equally as sweet smile. "Morning, baby."

The teasing from his mate was a great way to distract him from the pain the Gods had inflicted on him the night before. Sláine knew how to take the pain away even though they hadn't known each other very long. He guessed that was due to their bond, but Eurion certainly wasn't going to complain anytime soon. He needed it. He needed him, and there was no way he was letting that go now that he had it. So many years spent in the dark, wondering if he would ever meet the man that he was destined to love and have a - hopefully - good future with, and finally he had that. He had Sláine. His prince. His mate. His. Just as Eurion was all Sláine's and would be for the rest of their lives. The Gods could try and take him away all they wanted but that bond was never going to break. It would always be there, glistening in the background of their minds, pulling them together like an inseparable force and an unbreakable string.

He would have continued with the teasing but then Sláine was pulling out that stupid pet name again and his cheeks were red in an instant. It was as if every time his brain heard that word there was a button pushed in his head that caused heat to rush to his cheeks and light them up rosy red. It was embarrassing, really, just how easily someone could pull such an innocent reaction out of Eurion when he was so stone faced the rest of the time. No one else had ever done such a thing. No one else had been able to set him off in such a way that it had him blushing and nearly Gods damned pouting because he didn't know how to react any other way. It was unfair how much control Sláine had over him without even needing to lift a finger. There wasn't much he could do but lie there and fucking whine softly when he heard himself be called something so sweet and try and hide away in his mate's chest. Not fair. Eurion may have been the dominant one when it came to other aspects of their relationship but this was certainly something he was not versed well in enough to be that way here.

"Mornin', darling…" he mumbled back, voice more muffled than usual due to how Eurion was now trying to press his face into his mate's shoulder and neck. Maybe if he could hide away before Sláine saw he could get away with little teasing, but he knew that was highly unlikely. His prince knew him too well at this point, and that was why he used baby instead of any other name because he knew that it could always draw such a reaction from him. Vulnerable in a way he had never been with anyone before.

Sláine saw that blush, saw how his mate instantly shut down at the sound of the pet name, and he knew. He laughed and wrapped himself around Eurion even more, tightening his legs around the other's, then cooed down at the whining and pouting man. He cupped his neck and back of his head to keep him secure where it was hiding, but didn't do anything to encourage it—Sláine still liked seeing Eurion's face, especially when he was blushing like mad from the pet name. He relented, though, and decided to hold off on teasing him more with the name for a while. Instead, he kissed where he could and was all smiles.

"You're the cutest," he cooed. Only like this, though. When he got like this, after a single word, he was the cutest thing in the world and Sláine couldn't think of anything else that could rival him. Any other time, when Eurion was in the lead of the conversation and was sure of himself, he effortlessly had the prince a pile of nothing but mush and crimson cheeks. He was in charge and could wrap Sláine around his finger in no time. The dynamic they had was one that the prince adored more than anything, because it was a sort of give and take relationship. Not just one of them was in charge of the other, but rather they had the freedom to take both sides and both fall into vulnerability and shyness, and the need for comfort when flustered. Sláine, especially, could give himself to the assassin and his mate would happily coddle him until the end of time—and in times like these, when Eurion succumbed to the power of his one weakness, the prince was more than happy to return the favor. They fit perfectly together with all their sides, and he couldn't imagine a better man for him.

The very neck that Eurion was hiding in was more than likely covered in a layer of bruises, all creating a natural collar around his throat that spotted down to his shoulders and everywhere else. From what little he could see, the big bad assassin had scratches all down his back from Sláine's desperate clawing once his hands had been set free. Both of them bore evidence of their night together, even if he felt like he could've done a little more to claim Eurion as his. Well, should've, because he knew very well why he couldn't, not when he had Eurion fucking him so good he couldn't even think, let alone have a mind to repay the favor. No, the bruises littering his skin would have to do, and he relished in every dull ache throughout his body because it meant that his mate had touched him, that he belonged to someone.

Running his fingertips over the edge of Eurion's ear, Sláine nuzzled into his hair and breathed him in. "I think Skyfall will forever be my favorite event. Don't tell the others; I'm pretty sure that's treason."

Eurion's ears twitched at the touch and he only huffed and tried to nuzzle away further into Sláine's neck. It was totally unfair and downright rude that someone was able to have such a power over him when the rest of his life he had been the one to bring out such reactions from people, intentionally or otherwise. He'd never been much of a flirt, not even before he was contracted to the Gods and he only ever did so these days if he needed something from someone. But considering he had the dark and brooding look about him, it tended to be easy. There was only one person Eurion could really remember having in his life he had called such names because he had liked them. Even then their connection had been nothing like him and Sláine's. That was to be expected, though, since him and his prince were mates. No one would ever be able to bring out such reactions. No one could compare to the man that was holding him and trying not to laugh at the fact that he was so easily brought down by just a single word.

He only pulled away, however, when his mate spoke of Skyfall. Despite how red he still was in the cheeks he wanted to see Sláine's face when they spoke. The man was angelic. Even when Eurion was huffy with him for teasing and cooing and coddling him (not that he minded but was definitely pretending that he did), he still thought his man to be nothing less than beautiful. From that first morning where they had woken up together to now, his thoughts hadn't changed, and they never would. The man was beauty captured in locks of red waves and freckled skin and was all his, "It is the best festival in the world," He replied, leaning into every touch that he was given as if it were to be his last, "Considering we were all blessed by the Eclipse last night, I have a hunch that they might agree with you, anyway."

Because all four of the group had been given a star to keep forever. It was apart of them now. The couples shared one another and were simultaneously linked to the Eclipse Herself and that was something that very few people were able to experience. Sure, there had been hundreds of Fae out watching the event, but not all caught the stars and very few were gifted and blessed with them. It was even more of a rare miracle that She even blessed outsiders who weren't Fae. That made the night even more special in Eurion's mind. The twins and Aideen had looked Fae, and maybe that was why, but he had a feeling that She knew. She always did, and Eurion's faith in the Eclipse was far stronger than that of the Gods he was unfortunately bound to.